Android 2.3

Android is an open source software stack for mobile devices, and a corresponding open source project led by Google.

Developer comments

We created Android in response to our own experiences launching mobile apps. We wanted to make sure that there was no central point of failure, so that no industry player can restrict or control the innovations of any other. That's why we created Android, and made its source code open.

The Android Open Source Project (AOSP), led by Google, is tasked with the maintenance and further development of Android. Many device manufacturers have brought to market devices running Android, and they are readibly available around the world.

Our primary purpose is to build an excellent software platform for everyday users. A number of companies have committed many engineers to achieve this goal, and the result is a full production quality consumer product whose source is open for customization and porting.


Product's homepage

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

New user features:

· Optimizations for a wider range of tablets

· Android 3.2 includes a variety of optimizations across the system to ensure a great user experience on a wider range of tablet devices.
· Compatibility zoom for fixed-sized apps

· Android 3.2 introduces a new compatibility zoom mode that gives users a new way to view fixed-sized apps on larger devices. The new mode provides a pixel-scaled alternative to the standard UI stretching for apps that are not designed to run on larger screen sizes, such as on tablets. The new mode is accessible to users from a menu icon in the system bar, for apps that need compatibility support.
· Media sync from SD card

· On devices that support an SD card, users can now load media files directly from the SD card to apps that use them. A system facility makes the files accessible to apps from the system media store.

New developer features:

· Extended API for managing screens support

· Android 3.2 introduces extensions to the platform's screen support API to give developers additional ways to manage application UI across the range of Android-powered devices. The API includes new resource qualifiers and new manifest attributes that give you more precise control over how your apps are displayed on different sizes, rather than relying on generalized size categories.

· To ensure the best possible display for fixed-sized apps and apps with limited support for various screen sizes, the platform also provides a new zoom compatibility mode that renders the UI on a smaller screen area, then scales it up to fill the space available on the display. For more information about the screen support API and the controls it provides, see the sections below.